4-Bee Axione

So, I've been getting into this 4-wheel driving thing a bit recently… Not in that we've actually been doing any more, more so that I've been absorbing all the information that I can find. Especially … well, everything really. Bris31 has 4WD TV on Tuesday evenings, replayed on Saturday afternoons (also shown elsewhere around Australasia, check the website). Plus Outerlimits4x4.com.au, where I spend most of my lunch times…

And of course, this makes me want to get into the driving more also… the other week when we went camping with some folks from work, we went through some tracks up north of Noosa/Tewantin (see Carmen's post) and just for the fun of it I took the side steps off the car. Made it look a lot higher, but also made it harder to get into, especially for wives…

<<Challenger 2.jpg>>

But this weekend, all else being equal, going for a bit of an explore around the Glasshouse mountains tracks, with a bunch (like 15!) of people from OuterLimits4x4. Should be a bit interesting, as there are a huge range of types of vehicles represented there, from totally standard jackaroo-types, to fully-sick-mate 37" tyred, 10" lifted, V8-powered hiluxes, etc. Don't think I'm going to follow them, just quietly. But am looking forward to seeing some action in person, and learning a bit of driving technique even.

And now I have discovered a competition at Caboolture in September, so will be tops to go see what that’s all about.

Chris Who-Meulen??

The man had a cracker, and did you see Casey's ride? Just brilliant, the two of them.

Wheelie the length of the straight at Le Mans, in the wet. Well done, the guy from Yandina.

Got ye!

Turns out I'm actually really looking forward to seeing Gotye in August (all else being equal...). He's playing at the PowerHouse, which will be something different. Haven't been to see live music since, well, the BDO, I guess.

Well, I guess I should qualify that: I haven't PAID to see live music since then...

Hunting for Gremlins

Saturday afternoon, after the nap: got a 12V power point in the front of the car (commonly called cigarette lighter) that doesn't work so much. I figure, let's check it out. No worries, remove the dash - wait, gotta take out the centre console, to move the gear-lever surround, to remove the dash lower. K, got the centre console bin out, hey look, 3 of Carmen's bobbi pins. (Dunno why I spelt it that way, I just did, ok?) Clean out some of the rubbish. Oh, hey, the Handbrake light switch is down here somewhere, let's fix that too. Ah, there it is, ok, works like that. Ah, that paddle-pop™ stick musta been blocking the switch. Sor'd. Right, move the gearstick surround, dash out. Hmm, gotta get the stereo out by the look of it. Mucka-bout, mucka-bout, ah, there it goes. Here we go… right, gotit. Oh, didn't need to get the stereo out after all. Oh well, no harm done.

K, so there are the light socket leads. Oh, they all look fine. Wiggle, wiggle. All firm. Nothing obvious wrong. Drat. Empty mission there, then. Oh well, at least the handbrake warning light won't stay on any more. All back together. Nurries. Oh, hey, here's the replacement lock barrel for the passenger door. (When I bought the car, it was all munted.) Righto, let's see what this involves …

Door lining off, unplug light and windows, peel back plastic lining, muck-about, pull it out, new one in, done. Plastic back, switches back, lining back, sor'd. Hmm. Doesn't seem to work, in that it doesn't actually unlock the door. Key turns it, no worries, door still unlocks with the central/alarm button, but … no unlocking with key. Oh well. Next time.

Pack up, tools back into the garage, drive car into gar- wait, what?? The hand-brake light stays on? … Huh.

oooh, Flexxy

If I was to say "Flexcentric" to you, what would that mean? You'd probably say "He's making up words again."

And if I was to follow that up with "Patent, built under licence, not at liberty to disclose", you'd say "Ahh, very hush-hush. Say. No. More."

Well, I work here, and I work on these. Cool, hey. Indirectly actuated vibratory, 3-D modelled in AutoDesk Inventor. Good stuff.



So let's say I got an evaluation copy of Inventor, and installed it at home. What would I do? Would I do work at home? No, not really possible, since we use SAP, and I can't be bothered getting the necessary setup done. Would I ... Convert to 3D the model of the bike i drew in AutoCAD LT a couple of years ago? Yep, done that. So now what?



Now, is a new, better CV joint. The bane of all IFS 4wd'ers. I saw a snippet on the news the other day about a dude who has invented something that might be this, but i didn't catch the whole article. D'oh. Better get in quick then, hey?



My thoughts are ... Yeah, right. Give away my thoughts here. Tell you what: i'll sell them to you. Contact me via this blog....



Right.



Pajero IFS, with shock (blue), torsion Bar (black, near the bottom, coming in from left), steering arm (brownish, horizontal), new CV boots (the shiny black rubber things), Ventilated disc (ooh, shiny), and manual-locking hub.

K?

Icy Simians- Where would one find them?

I was talking to Scott Mullane the other day, and mentioned something about the Arctic Monkeys' new track, and he agreed that it was pretty good, and he doesn't mind them, in spite of their origin…

I'm all like, what?

So, he says there was a national televised quest to find the NBT. Like Idol, or Popstars, etc. Something that has been suspiciously absent from any comment by Triple J.

They do good. I hope they write their own music tho', cos I think that's one big plus for them… I'll see what I can find out this evening...

[Edit] But just now I can see no reference to any of this in the wiki entry, so...
Hmmm. Oh well. It's either been supressed, (unlikely, methinks) or Scotty might've got his wires crossed. Or not heard me when ... Wait... i just remembered that I mentioned them as the "monkeys", and he musta thought i meant the Monkees. Huh. Well, please disregard this entire post....

The Art of Communication

So, we were at this communication seminar for young married ppl, and they got some "volunteer" couples to come up, and asked who was the better person at drawing stuff, and gave a marker to the other person. Each couple had an easel set up, and the person with the marker stood in the front, and the other one stood behind the easel, where there was a picture taped up. The one had to tell the other what to draw, without saying what it was they were drawing. As in, they had to describe the thing.

Anyhow, I decribed and Carmen drew. And this is the result.



I reckon we didn't so much need to sit thru the seminar, hey? Was good fun though, and got some good tips. Like the knowledge that I am (and she is too) totally committed to an imperfect person. And other good stuff.

Ray of Sunshine

On the way home from werk, the other day, I caught a shot of sunset... Ah, pretty...

Reminded me of the shot from our wedding photos a bit.

Clock-over or Overclocking?

Milestone today: hit 100,000 km on my bike. I got it new in Feb '99, so that's, what, an average of about 990km per month, or 11880 per year. Not too shabby, for a bike that's not too shabby...







Plus track days, a bit of log distance touring, and it really has held together very well. What's gone wrong? A cracked frame at about 30,000(warranty replacement, I paid labour), busted plug caps, I'm on the second chain and sprockets (changed at 60000), Timing chain tensioner replaced at a service as recall, and a bunch of tyres and fuel. I can't even tel you what sort of mileage I get from a set of tyres these days. Time was I was pretty clued up on that stuff.



And for Mick Kov, and Gentle Annie (Napier to Taihape)...

How much was that software for Windoze?

I got a pretty cool error message this arve, in the FEA software I am using:




Sweet. "Genreate". I think (not totally sure) that this is a twenty thousand dollar chunk of code.

title case

I thought I'd better clear it up pretty quickly: the title of this blog is an homage to Luke's speech at my wedding, when he mentioned that Carmen and I were each the most correct choice for the other, referring to our (and my in particular) pedantic leanings...

So rather than thinking that I am all that, I am just admitting to my melancholic side. I'm not a ferpectionist, just someone who likes things done right. Or correctly...

First Post!!eleven!

The Pupose: to present an easy place for folks to see my life, I guess. I've held out for so long, because I've thought it's an exercise in public introspection and narcissism. But whatever. Bandwagen, (the german version...) here I come!

Of course, because I'm me, I'll be including an error in every post, and the first person who points it out will get ... the opportunity to correct me? Ahdunno, no prize necessary, i rekn.

Have fun.